In an interview with Grindr, Russon said she's always felt like she was trans, "even before that word existed," and couldn't wait any longer to express her true identity, explaining:

"This is my fifth decade being alive, and in each of those decades, there's been a time where I've tried to say, ‘Hey, I think I'm transgender!' This was even before that word existed."

While coming out has caused the 43-year-old to feel more connected to her bandmates as they prepare for their tour in September, living as a trans woman still comes with its challenges — like the "unpleasant" or even "scary" experience of using a public bathroom.

She continued:

"I'm the happiest I've ever been, but I have my good days and my bad days. On my bad days, it really sucks, and I wait until I get home to go to the bathroom—which is such a basic thing."

Russon admitted that even she had preconditioned prejudices about trans people, which she had to work through while transitioning, confessing:

"I am someone who has spoken out on both women's rights and trans rights for a long time, but when I started to transition myself, that was one of the most shocking things. I'm carrying so many of these things around with me. That's been challenging to work through — having those preconditioned societal ideas of what transgender women can do."

Looking forward, Russom said she hopes to be a role model for "anybody who is struggling with their gender identity or who wants to come out and is afraid to," adding:

"What would be better than giving someone permission to do that through my performance? That's the ultimate. It's what other people gave to me, so I'd love to pass that along to other people, too."